[Verse 2: Chuck D]
You got no rap but you want to battle
It's like having a boat but you've got no paddle
Cause I never pause, I say it because
I don't break in stores but I break all laws
Written while sitting, all bidding not hidden
Giving me the juice that you're not getting
I'm not a law obeyer, so you can tell your mayor
I'mma non-stop, rhythm rock, poetry sayer
I'm the rhyme player, the ozone layer
A battle what? Here's a bible so start your prayer
This word to the wise is justified
If they ask you what happened, just admit you lied
You just got caught up, for going out of order
And now you're serving football teams their water
You messed with the Master, word to Chuck
And I waxed cold taxed, make sure you got dunked
You just got dissed, all but dismissed
Sucker duck emcees you get me pissed
It's no fun being on the run
Because they got me Public Enemy number one

[Hook]

[Verse 3: Chuck D]
Don't you know, don't you know..
I got a posse of a force to back me up
Watch out, we got metal to match
Ambush attack on my back, double-team you get creamed
So we have it, so you won't catch
Wanna hear it again we got a force, enemy down
The L.I. circuit soundAnd Chuckie D, myself and K-Jee, Flavor, DJ Melo-D
Oh yes, I presume it's the tunes that make us groom
To make all the ladies swoon
But it's also the words from our direction, out the homeboy sectionKicking like Bruce Lee "Chinese Connection"
On stereo, never ever mono
On wax, yes, I'm talking about vinyl
They said "Stop! Freeze!" I got froze up
Because I'm Public Enemy number one

[Outro: Flavor Flav]
Yeah, that's right Chuck, man
That's what you gotta do
You gotta tell 'em just like that, you know what I'm saying
Cause yo man, let me tell you a little something man
These brothers running around, hard headed
They get a little jealous, you know what I'm saying
Just like that, you know, they're trying to bring you down with them
But yo Chuck, you got to let them know who's who in the world to be
You got to let them know, that this is the 80's
And we can get all the ladies
And in the backyard we got a fly Mercedes
And that's the way the story goes
That's just the way the story goes
Let me tell you a little something man

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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

Public Enemy’s debut release, originally a radio promo for their college radio show in Long Island back when they were the Spectrum City sound system.

Most of the elements that made Public Enemy great are apparent even at this early stage. Chuck’s dominating vocal style, the back-and-forth with Flavor, and the urgent, noisy, JB-influenced production are already in effect. What’s missing is the politics but that would come soon enough.

This is the song that Mr Magic is dissing in the intro to Cold Lampin' With Flavor. Magic played the original version on his radio show and dissed it live on air. In return, PE immortalised his words “No more music by the suckers” on one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time.